Paint rollers for applying paint to various surfaces are well known. Such rollers have generally replaced brushes for many painting tasks. Rollers are particularly effective where large areas require painting. Rollers possess several advantages over paint brushes. Less frequent dipping into the paint is generally required when utilizing rollers because of the reservoir action afforded by the roller as opposed to paint brushes. Additionally, the surface of rolled paint is generally smoother than that of brushed paint and lacks the brush marks commonly associated with the brushing process.
Paint rollers generally comprise two different types, fabric and foam. Foam rollers generally provide a smoother finish, conform better to surface irregularities, and hold more paint than fabric rollers. They thus generally require less frequent dipping than fabric rollers.
Rollers are generally constructed by applying either fabric or foam to a tubular member or roller tube, generally comprised of a polymer material. The roller tube must necessarily be of the correct length such that a finished roller of a desired size is provided. Thus, the fabrication of a roller of any given length requires a corresponding roller tube of that length such that a manufacturer is required to fabricate, inventory, and assemble roller tubes of the various sizes corresponding to the finished products.
For example, a manufacturer offering paint rollers of 2, 4, 6, and 8 inch lengths requires roller tubes of four different corresponding lengths. Each length must be separately manufactured and thus requires dedicated tooling. Each length must be separately inventoried, thus requiring storage space and inventory control. Additionally, each length must be separately assembled, requiring the correct length tube for the desired finished product. Thus, a manufacturer must contend with a variety of different roller tube lengths, thereby increasing the complexity and cost associated with paint roller manufacturing.
Although such prior art paint rollers have proven generally suitable for their intended purposes, they thus possess inherent deficiencies which detract from their overall effectiveness in the marketplace. As such, it is desirable to provide a simplified roller such that various roller lengths may be economically manufactured and assembled utilizing a minimum number of different standard parts, thereby reducing the costs associated with the fabrication, inventory, and assembly of such paint rollers.